Professional Appearance

Please check with your Community Health faculty on agencies that require “street clothes,” also known as business casual. Business casual is acceptable and can be interpreted as:

Women: wrinkle free slacks (dress pants), skirts (mid-calf to about two inches above the knee), blouses, shells, cardigans, blazers or dresses, shoes that cover the entire foot.
Men: wrinkle free dress pants, button down shirts, polo shirts (short sleeved shirts with a collar), blazers, shoes that cover the entire foot.
Do not wear:
- Denim material
- Anything that is see-through, short, tight, or shows too much skin.
- Flip-flops or tennis shoes/sneakers.

Students must adhere to the following:

The clinical facility’s ID must be worn whenever in that facility. Students who do not wear this ID may be asked to leave the facility.
Hair should be short or pulled back and styled neatly. Natural hair color is required; no purple, green, pink, blue or similar hair color is permitted. Beards or mustaches, if worn, should be neatly trimmed. Artificial eyelashes or eyelash extensions are not permitted.
Fingernails should be neatly trimmed and free of cracked nail polish. Only clear or neutral nail polish may be used, if desired. Acrylic nails, gels, overlays, dips, powders or any other nail enhancements are not permitted.
Permitted jewelry includes one pair of studded earrings, a watch, and a plain ring band. No other visible jewelry is acceptable including tongue rings or other facial jewelry. Clear spacers may not be worn in place of facial piercings. Tattoos and any other body art should be covered where possible. (Students are directed to follow the agency guidelines when in specified areas such as nursery, labor and delivery, and operating room.)
Perfume, after-shave lotion, and heavy makeup are not acceptable in the clinical area.
Gum chewing is not acceptable.
Clothing worn in non-clinical setting activities not requiring student uniform should adhere to professional standards.
Cell phone use is not permitted in the classroom, Lab/simulation or in the patient clinical setting. Students are expected to follow agency guidelines and clinical faculty directions regarding appropriateness of cell phone usage in the clinical setting.
Please remember that students represent Aspen University. Your appearance must be clean, neat, and professional.